Nightmares
by ChronaxMaka writer
Summary: While Yang and Blake are out in Vale, Ruby has a nightmare. It's up to Weiss to comfort her, even if she may not be the best person for the job. Some gore ahead, be forewarned. Goes from horror to angst, then from angst to fluff. Ice Flower


The forest was bathed in the glow of moonlight from above, unobscured by clouds or light pollution. The moon appeared whole, even though it's shattered pieces drifting off into the void were merely hiding behind it. The trees were devoid of leaves, and the snow on the ground had settled hours, if not days earlier, undisturbed by the travels of people.

Ruby had no idea how she had ended up here. She was dressed lightly, and the cold was getting to her fast. She couldn't stop her shuddering no matter how what she did; wrapping her arms around her didn't help, and she was without her usual red cloak. Crescent Rose wasn't on her person either, and the stillness of the forest was setting her on edge.

Trying to still the chattering of her teeth, she looked around, surveying the empty forest. Not empty, there was something always just out of her line of sight. She was paralyzed with apprehension at her situation. Weaponless, stuck in the cold, alone. She needed to get back to civilization, but had no idea where to start looking.

She took a step forward, the snow crunching loudly beneath her bare foot. There was absolutely no one around, she had made certain; why then, was there so much tension in the air? Letting out a sigh that turned into steam, she took a step forward, wincing and cursing the cold. She wasn't sure where she was going, but anywhere was better than standing in the middle of a frozen forest.

The moon hadn't moved in its position in the sky, a constant spotlight pointed at Ruby, as if the forest was some stage and she were the star. That would explain the feeling of being watched even though there was no one there with her. The only sounds to be heard as Ruby moved through the forest were the sounds of her labored breathing and the echoing of snow crunching beneath her feet.

Somewhere close by, a twig snapped.

Ruby spun around instantly, looking for whatever had caused the sound. It could be another person, a huntsman who could help her… or it could be a Grimm, in which case she would need to find a way to fight back or run for help. Scanning the dark, she hesitantly called, "Wh-wh-wh-who's th-th-there?" The shivering of her body was causing her to stutter when she spoke, and Ruby had lost all feeling in her legs and arms at this point.

"Come on! A little closer, you can do it!"

A voice echoed from beyond the treeline, feeling Ruby with the strangest sense of warmth, a feeling she hadn't felt when she was a little girl. Taking a step forward and trying to discern the person behind the voice, she called out quietly, "...Mom?"

A giggle responded, and Ruby was certain it was who she thought it was. Her mom was here! She would help lead her out of the forest, and they could go home and see dad and Yang and be a family again! Laughing in joy, Ruby found the energy she lost in the cold and began running through the forest, ducking under trees, jumping over rocks, and completely ignoring any cuts and scrapes she garnered along the way.

Arriving in a clearing, the moon shone down on someone opposite Ruby: a tall, elegant figure in a white cloak, holding in both hands a zweihander. She had her back to Ruby, standing completely still as the forest around them. Ruby held out a hand to her mother, ready to call out, when a jet black shadow ran past her.

Ruby gasped in fear as the beowulf charged her mother, but Summer was prepared. Without a need to use her semblance, she sidestepped the creature's attack and cleaved it in half clean through the waist. More Grimm were coming out of the forest now, drawn by the howling and fighting. Summer wasn't going to back down; no, she was going to exterminate every one of the vile beasts.

Beowulf's by the dozen, Ursa major and minor, a King Taijitu, and even a Death Stalker stood no match against Ruby's mother. She watched in awe as Summer slashed and dodged, a circle of living death. Occasionally switching from the two handed form of her sword to the Assault Rifle to pick off targets further away, Summer was unstoppable on the battlefield.

Ripping her sword from a Grimm's chest, she transformed her weapon into the Assault Rifle, aiming down the iron sights, ready to pick off the next set of Grimm that came her way. Lining up the shot, she pulled the trigger, waiting for the fatal bullet to hit its mark.

Clink.

Clink, clink, clink, clink.

The rifle was out of ammo. Cursing, Summer reached into the pouch where she kept spare magazines, only for a feeling of dread to overcome her. She was completely out of ammunition and dust crystals. She barely managed to block the swipe of the Beowulf that she had failed to shoot down, and ended up knocked back several feet.

Maybe she shouldn't have taken this mission. Every time she killed a Grimm, two stronger ones would take its place. They were infinite, and she was not. She didn't have time to call for backup, and she couldn't make a run for it with no ammo or traps; not even her semblance would help her.

Her aura wouldn't last forever.

She wasn't going to be able to return home.

Ruby watched in fear as her mother transformed the weapon back into it's zweihander form, a look of solid determination on her face. Facing down the Grimm, she charged, cutting off the arms of one, before impaling it. Kicking its carcass into another, she jumped over an Ursa's head, bringing her weapon down on the creatures back. Its armor protected it, but it still flew forward from the sheer force of the blow.

Something smashed into her back, sending her flying forward. Panting, she turned and saw an armored Boarbatusk where she had just been, trying to recover from ramming into her. Before she could stand, a Beowulf was on her, and she helplessly put her weapon in front of her as a shield. Ruby's line of sight was blocked as the creatures surrounded her.

A blood curdling scream echoed through the forest as Summer was torn to shreds, her lifeless body being torn into pieces for the Grimm to share as their next meal. Bones snapped, vital organs were torn between sharp teeth, and blood covered the snow, turning the idyllic forest into a place of nightmares.

After the Grimm had finished murdering Summer, they left, returning to the dark edges of the forest, just out of sight, but always watching. Ruby collapsed to her knees, weak from the sight of her mother dying. Slowly, she made her way over to Summer's corpse, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to reach out, but stopped before she could touch her mother's body.

The blood had soaked the white cloak Summer wore a violent shade of red. Her corpse was heavily mutilated, pieces missing and strewn about; the only recognizable bits were her face, her cloak, and her sword. Ruby began crying, heavy sobs shaking her body as she mourned for her mother.

"Don't cry. They're attracted to negativity."

Her mother's voice whispered, and Ruby's head shot up as she looked at the face of her mom. Summer was gazing directly at her now, giving her a silent warning. It was too late. The Grimm had returned, blood still covering their faces and claws from their recent kill. Ruby tried to grab Summer's sword, but her body didn't respond. She was moving at the rate of an inch an hour.

A Beowulf's claw pierced her chest, and Ruby looked down from her outstretched arm to the impaled claw sticking through her chest. She heard the Beowulf snarl behind her, before it took out the claw it stabbed her with. Falling on her side, Ruby could see more Grimm coming out of the forest, and they descended on her as one, ripping the flesh off her bones, tearing her intestines and organs from her torso as her blood was used to satiate their thirst.

"Ruby! Ruby, wake up!"

The pain was overwhelming. Every part of her body was on fire as the Beowulf's claimed a second kill for themselves. Ruby wanted to cry again. She'd never see her father or Yang again. She was going to die here; by the same beasts that had killed her mother, cold, alone, and in unending pain.

"Ruby, please wake up! You're having a nightmare! Come on, wake up!"

Gasping for air, Ruby's eyes shot open as she awoke. The covers had been kicked off, and she was covered in a cold sweat. The bedsheets were slightly askew as well, most likely from her having been gripping them in a desperate attempt to fight of the beasts in her dream. Sitting up, she turned to look at the person beside her bed.

Normally, Yang would be the one to wake her from the recurring nightmare she had started having when she was little, but she and Blake were out in Vale for the night. Weiss was standing on the bottom bunk, her arms on Ruby's shoulders as she shook her in a desperate attempt to free her from her nocturnal horror.

Everything washed back to Ruby at once, and this time she began sobbing for real. Horrible, body shaking sobs. Weiss gasped as Ruby wrapped her arms around her, looking to be comforted. Weiss had never been in this situation before, so awkwardly wrapped her arms around Ruby while trying to maintain her balance on the bottom bunk. Ruby sobbed into her chest for a few minutes while Weiss patted her on the back and ran a soothing hand through her hair, constantly whispering things like, "It's okay, it's over now." And, "It was only a bad dream."

She had been sleeping when Ruby began muttering to herself. Weiss hated that she was a light sleeper, because Ruby began tossing and turning, and Weiss assumed she was trying to find some comfortable to position to sleep in. Then Ruby had began gasping for air, like she was choking. The covers had fallen off the bed a minute later, and then Ruby screamed.

It was terrifying. Weiss had never been in this situation before, and she had no idea how to react. Comfort was not her forte, and nightmares was something she had never had a problem with. Ruby screamed again, and this time, Weiss stood on her bed, moving aside the blanket Ruby used as a curtain.

She was lying down, mouth slightly open as she gasped for air, unable to draw in anything more than a light breath. Her neck was twisted at an awkward angle, and the blindfold she used to cover her eyes when she slept had fallen off her head. She was grabbing fistfuls of the bed as she fought against whatever was in her dream, her entire body was shaking. She screamed again, longer this time, and Weiss shook off her shock, grabbing Ruby by the shoulders in the only way she knew how to wake someone up.

Shaking her violently, she called out to her team leader, "Ruby! Ruby, wake up!" Ruby gasped again, and called for help. Weiss was panicking now, but she still had no idea what to do. "Ruby, please wake up! You're having a nightmare! Come on, wake up!" Ruby's eyes shot open, bloodshot silver leaking tears as she escaped her personal torment.

Weiss let out a sigh of relief. She was about to call the entire infirmary staff to come help her. That was when Ruby began crying, pulling Weiss into a close hug. Wrapping her arms around the crying girl, she tried to comfort her as best as she could, but didn't really know how to react in this situation. She hated that she could sometimes be so socially awkward.

Ruby's tears had stopped flowing, but she was still breathing heavy and uneven, like it hurt to draw in air. Weiss waited till she was calm and breathing normally again before she began talking.

"All better?"

She could feel Ruby nod against her chest, and gently as she could, pulled away. Ruby was reluctant to have her leave, but Weiss gave her a warm, reassuring glance. Ruby grabbed her arm as she stepped back, and the look in her eyes begged Weiss not to leave. Stepping off her bed, she looked up to the bunk. "I'm going to get you a glass of water. I'll be right back."

Departing to the kitchen, she returned with a full glass of ice water. Handing it to Ruby, she watched as it disappeared in one gulp. Taking it and setting it down on the nearby bookshelf, she looked back to Ruby with worry. She knew Ruby was probably still freaking out internally; this wasn't the first time she had had nightmares at Beacon. Yang had always been here before though, leaving Blake and to sit on the edges of their beds awkwardly as Yang comforted her sister. Unsure what she should do, Weiss asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ruby shook her head, and Weiss let out a quiet sigh. That probably wasn't the best way to deal with this situation, but it did give Weiss an idea. Grabbing her scroll, she put in the passcode and began scrolling through her contacts list.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked after a minute. Her voice sounded gravelly and hoarse, and Weiss could only imagine what it sounded like in the past.

"I'm going to call Yang." Weiss said. "She's the one who helps you out when this… situation occurs." Ruby hopped off her bed and grabbed the scroll out of Weiss's hands, shutting it off before the call could go out. Weiss stared in confusion. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"It's late, and I don't want to bother her, you know! If she isn't back by now, she and Blake are probably staying the night in Vale, and I don't want to wake them up. Besides, I can deal with this. It's happened before, you know, so I know how to handle this." Ruby ranted, catching her breath afterwards. She was starting to return to her old self.

Weiss sat Ruby down on her bed, sitting close enough beside her that the two could share their body heat. "Remember how I promised to the best partner you ever had?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded, and Weiss continued, "Well, if I'm going to do that, we have to trust each other, okay? I'll be here for you, so you can talk to me. That's what friends are for."

Ruby sighed, a sorrowful expression overcoming her. She put her head on Weiss's shoulder, nestling into her neck. Wrapping her arms around Ruby's shoulders, she felt Ruby put her arms around her waist. "I'm sorry. I just… I don't want to burden other people with my problems. It's been going on for so long, and… I know Yang gets tired of it sometimes, too. She's my sister and all, but I know she wishes this would end soon."

The words hurt Weiss, and she wrapped her arms tighter around Ruby. "What was your dream about?" Weiss asked, trying to better understand the younger girls situation. Ruby tensed underneath, and Weiss was afraid she might try and shut her out again. However, Ruby began talking again after a few moments of silence.

"It's about the death of my mom. I always wake up in a forest, and I'm trying to find my way out. I walk through the forest for a while, and eventually I find my mom in a clearing. She starts fighting Grimm, and she's doing really well, you know, because she was a great huntress. But… she starts getting overwhelmed, and then she…" Ruby's voice cracked again, and Weiss told her, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

Ruby shook her head again. "No it's okay. She gets overwhelmed, and she… she dies. It's horrible, Weiss. She gets torn to shreds in front of me, and there is nothing I can do." Weiss could feel more tears falling onto her shoulder. "After they've finished, the Grimm turn to me. And then I… I…" Ruby started crying again, and Weiss began comforting her again.

"I'm so sorry that happened, Ruby. But you're here, now, safe with me, okay? I'm not going to let you fall like that." Weiss assured her, trying to give the girl solace. Ruby continued crying for a few more minutes, letting out shaky breaths as she tried to recompose herself. "Thanks, Weiss. I'm sorry for waking you up."

"That's what partners are for, you dork."

Ruby giggled, and Weiss smiled in return, glad that she had helped the younger girl feel better. Ruby and Weiss stayed wrapped in each others embrace for a few more minutes, before Ruby removed her arms from Weiss. Pulling back, she said, "Um… is it okay if… I sleep with you in your bed tonight? Yang usually let's me sleep with her when I have bad dreams, so I was just wondering…" Ruby trailed off, looking down at the floor.

Weiss moved back, laying down on her bed, close to the wall. She was feeling fatigued; the had had school that day, and it was nearing 2:30 in the morning. Pulling the covers down, she motioned for Ruby to climb in beside her. Ruby snuggled up next to her, and Weiss said, "Just this once. And Ruby?" Ruby let out a "Hmm?" in response. "If you have nightmares, you can always come talk to me. I'll let you sleep beside me, too, if that'll make you feel better."

"Thanks Weiss. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Ruby. Sweet dreams." Weiss muttered, wrapping her arms around Ruby. She was warm, and Weiss was beginning to doze off, letting sleep overtake her.

~Nightmares~

"Yang, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation."

"..."

"I know what it looks like, but this is Ruby we're talking about. And Weiss. Neither one of them would do this sort of thing here. Weiss would take her to a fancy hotel or a mansion, and Ruby's to innocent to engage in that sort of activity."

"..."

Weiss figured she was about to die. The room was about 120000 degrees hotter than when she had fallen asleep beside Ruby, and Blake's attempt to talk some sense into Yang didn't appear to be working. She was, for lack of a better term, spooning with Ruby right now, her arms wrapped around the redhead's waist. Ruby's hands were on her own, and the fact the she had her face buried in Ruby's rose scented hair probably didn't help this look any better.

"Hmm...Weiiiissss~"

Well, if she wasn't dead before, she was certainly dead now. She heard Yang yell out her name, felt Ruby jump as the tranquil morning was shattered, and soon she was lifted up by her nightgown by a very angry looking Yang.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER? SHE'S FIFTEEN YOU CREEP I LEAVE YOU WITH HER FOR ONE NIGHT AND YOU TAKE AWAY HER INNOCENCE?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

Weiss had overcome her initial shock at this point, and was now angry with Yang for jumping to conclusions. Glaring at Yang, she yelled, "I was comforting her! She had a nightmare last night and I was the only one here to take care of her! I didn't do anything to her, you moron!" She felt Yang's grip on her slacken, and Weiss took the opportunity to throw Yang off her, landing on the floor with a thud.

"Ooohh…"

Weiss got up, scowling. There were many things she could have said, but decided instead to grab her clothes and storm into the bathroom, intending to change. Locking the door behind her, she let out a sigh, before disrobing and going through her morning cleaning ritual. Through the door, she could hear the other three arguing.

"See? I told you there was an explanation!"

"Well, you can't disagree when I say it looked bad… especially when Ruby moaned her name."

"Huh? I didn't moan anyone's name!"

"Anyways, I'll apologize when she comes out."

Weiss had finished cleaning herself, and stepped out into the dorm. Yang was standing in front of the door with a hand behind her neck, a sheepish grin on her face. "So… heh, sorry about that. It just looked like… anyways, thanks for helping out Ruby." Yang quickly brushed past her and went into the bathroom, leaving Weiss shocked.

"That might just be the worst apology I've ever heard." Weiss said after a second, sitting down on her bed. Ruby sat down beside her, and Blake eyed the two from her bed. "She didn't mean anything by her actions. You know how overprotective she is of Ruby." Blake said. "Still, she should know better. I mean what if Ruby and I had…" She trailed off, blushing as she realized Ruby was staring at her with large silver eyes.

"If you and I had what?" She asked, perplexed and confused, her naivety providing a shield from the potentially lewd conversation. Blake laughed, and being already fully dress from the night before, walked out. Weiss followed after, suddenly unable to look at Ruby. Yang walk out of the bathroom a moment later, and noticed the lack of the others, as well as a confused Ruby.

Turning to look at Yang, she asked, "What did it look like Weiss and I had done?"


End file.
